Phantom Slips Worf; Marla Tightens Her Hold on Jeremy
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Picard directs Worf to Transporter Room Three as they split up, showing strategic deployment of crew to counter the entity's movements.
The energy force darts through Transporter Room Three, eluding Worf and demonstrating the entity's agility and threat level.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Tense vigilance mixed with restrained guilt — professional duty sharpened by emotional responsibility for the away team.
Sent to Transporter Room Three; arrives, pursues the energy as it darts between components, then checks the safety of O'Brien and security personnel before reporting the energy has left the room and issuing a security alert.
- • Physically intercept and neutralize the energy within the transporter space.
- • Account for and secure the wellbeing of ship personnel in the affected room.
- • Physical security and personal intervention are necessary to keep crew safe.
- • Failing to stop the intruder in a tactically controlled space increases personal responsibility and shame.
Concerned and operationally focused — carrying the burden of translating command intent into executable orders.
On the Main Bridge coordinating with La Forge, warns that the intruder may try to reinstate transporter power and helps maintain tactical oversight of containment measures.
- • Anticipate and block the intruder’s attempts to regain use of ship systems.
- • Support Picard’s strategy by coordinating bridge and engineering responses.
- • The intruder is adaptive and may try alternate vectors to achieve its goal.
- • Clear, anticipatory command reduces risk to the ship and crew.
Concerned and professionally resolute, but struck by the ethical pain of being physically blocked from helping a grieving child.
Monitoring remotely, arrives at Aster's doorway, attempts to take Jeremy to Picard's quarters for safety but is rebuffed when the apparition (as Marla) physically interposes and resists her outreach.
- • Remove Jeremy from the immediate influence of the apparition to ensure his psychological safety.
- • Support Picard’s protective measures and provide immediate counseling as required.
- • Jeremy needs careful psychological protection rather than rushed bonding.
- • Physical proximity to the child is critical to prevent further emotional harm.
Concentrated urgency — technical calm with the anxious edge of someone racing against a clever, adaptive threat.
Initiates transporter shutdown from the turbolift and notifies Bridge and Engineering; states intention to move to the transporter area to secure systems and prevent reinstatement of power.
- • Prevent the intruder from using transporter systems to remove Jeremy or propagate.
- • Physically secure Transporter Room Three and assist security/engineering as needed.
- • The intruder exploits technical systems (transporters) to achieve its aims.
- • Rapid, decisive technical action can limit the intruder’s options.
Calculated and possessive — projects comforting familiarity to gain control over Jeremy while eluding technical containment.
Non‑corporeal energy that darts through Transporter Room Three components, leaves the room, and manifests as Marla to shepherd Jeremy possessively into their quarters, physically blocking Troi from taking the child.
- • Acquire or maintain physical custody of Jeremy by mimicking his mother.
- • Exploit ship systems and emotional bonds to bypass purely technical defenses.
- • Emotional mimicry will be more effective than brute force in securing the child.
- • Starfleet defenses can be temporarily subverted by moving rapidly and shifting forms.
Momentarily surprised then quickly composed — focused on equipment and procedural safety after the incident.
Present in Transporter Room Three when the energy darts through the system; startled but physically unharmed; checked by Worf and declared okay.
- • Ensure transporter hardware is safe and confirm shutdown integrity.
- • Assist security and engineering in assessing the intrusion’s effect on systems.
- • Transporter systems must be secured after any anomalous energy interaction.
- • Crew safety is a primary operational priority in engineering spaces.
Uneasy and slightly frightened; simultaneously drawn to the comforting figure and uncertain about safety.
Being led by the apparition (as Marla), Jeremy stands between protective adults and the manifested image of his mother; when asked by Picard if he is frightened he replies minimally and withdraws as Marla shepherds him back into their quarters.
- • Seek comfort and familiar connection amid chaos.
- • Avoid confrontation and remain near the maternal apparition.
- • The apparition resembling his mother might be a source of comfort.
- • Adults around him will try to protect him but may not understand his attachment.
Authoritative calm layered with personal concern — professional command masking a private urgency to protect Jeremy.
Commands from the turbolift and directly confronts the apparition in the corridor: keys his insignia, seals decks, releases a security field, speaks soothingly to Jeremy, and directs Troi to escort the child to his quarters.
- • Protect Jeremy from the intruder’s influence and physical removal.
- • Contain the threat through shipboard protocols and then confront it directly.
- • Starfleet has an obligation to protect dependents aboard ship.
- • Technical containment will buy time but human intervention is necessary to resolve the crisis.
Coolly clinical — focused on facts and systems, with intellectual curiosity about the intruder’s behavior.
At a Main Bridge console, Data engages ship force fields, reports transporters offline, and provides technical confirmation that containment systems are active.
- • Stabilize shipboard systems and maintain force-field containment.
- • Provide accurate technical data to command to inform tactical decisions.
- • Technical data is central to making effective decisions.
- • Containment via force fields and transport shutdowns will impede the intruder’s movement.
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
Worn and tapped by officers to open voice channels and execute commands; in this event the insignia is touched to issue orders (release forcefield) and to signal movement. It functions as the immediate manual interface between officer intent and ship response.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
The Main Bridge is the coordination hub: Data engages force fields, Riker and Geordi argue tactical contingencies, and the bridge executes global commands (transport shutdown, deck seals). It translates sensor data into orders that shape the immediate containment strategy.
The turbolift functions as the staging point where Picard, Geordi and Worf receive the alert and issue immediate orders. It compresses private command decisions into a public, urgent action, initiating the shipwide response.
Transporter Room Three is the immediate battleground where the energy force darts between components and escapes; O'Brien is present and checked for injury, and Worf investigates the disturbance there. The room demonstrates that containment of the intruder via hardware is imperfect.
Aster's Quarters becomes the emotional trap: the apparition shepherds Jeremy back inside, physically blocking Troi and refusing removal. The quarters shift from private refuge to potential site of manipulation and danger.
Deck Eight corridors A and B are sealed by order of the Bridge to contain movement and isolate the situation around Aster's quarters; force fields create a tactical perimeter that also traps Marla and Jeremy momentarily.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
No narrative connections mapped yet
This event is currently isolated in the narrative graph
Themes This Exemplifies
Thematic resonance and meaning
Key Dialogue
"TROI'S COM VOICE: Captain, the image is back -- she's trying to take Jeremy off the ship again."
"WORF: Energy force has left Transporter Room Three... security alert, all decks..."
"MARLA: No."